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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · pound · wax · wound · deal · pass · press · rule

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rule — government
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pound — a weight
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rule — a law
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. press — to push
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pass — a permit
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wound — an injury
  23. snap — to click
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com